Children Feeding Initiative - Uganda
Written by Margaret Wilbanks, Fundraising and Communications Officer - published July 2025
Windle International Uganda currently operates over 200 education institutions in refugee settlements and conflict-affected communities across the country. Out of those, the Children Feeding Initiative, or CFI, operates in 35 early childhood development centres (ECDs) and 32 primary schools. WIU serves as the implementing partner on behalf of Convoy of Hope for this landmark program which serves meals to 45,000 learners per day. Recently I spoke with the WIU CFI nutritionist, Kabila Jonathan Obbo, about the significance and positive impact of this program. CFI operates in Palorinya, Imvepi, Rhino Camp, and Kiryandongo Refugee Settlements in the West Nile Region of Uganda.
The CFI program includes daily lunch for learners while they are both in session and on school holidays. Learners are given a nutritional assessment and evaluated for levels of malnutrition when they enroll in the school. Those found with the condition are placed onto specialized nutrition plans. Jonathan stressed the importance of educating both learners and parents on the values of nutrition as well as food sustainability in the respective environment. He hopes to create ‘nutrition clubs’ and name ‘nutrition champions’ in communities to serve as role models and experts on the topic.
Proper nutrition is essential to success in school and Jonathan noted that CFI is a driver for retention and attendance. Concentration is increased for these students as the CFI program enables them to focus on their lessons instead of their next meal. Jonathan gave the following powerful testimony about the children he encounters in the schools:
The children are innocent and really need as much urgent support as possible, but especially during their early lives or early days of life and I believe that CFI offers this opportunity to them.
Based in Rhino Camp, Jonathan joined WIU earlier this year after several other roles in the nutrition security, education, and agriculture space. He states he is driven by his desire to work with refugees and develop his own expertise in the relationship between sustainability and working with feeding conflict-affected populations. Lessons about eco-farming, sustainability, and the impacts of climate change are be implemented alongside the CFI program.
We are thrilled by the hard work put into this program by Jonathan and his team as well as the continued support from the funder, Convoy of Hope. Through partnerships such as this WIU and our other country offices can continue to diversify our support outside of lesson delivery.